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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. cap — a lid
  8. board — a committee
  9. cap — a hat
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ground — a position
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ground — crushed
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ground — the earth
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com